Perhaps best known for his role as the skirt-chasing lawyer on “L.A. Law”, Corbin Bernsen recently wrote and directed a straight-to-DVD release of the faith-based film Rust. It tells the story of a pastor who has lost his faith but rediscovers it while trying to defend a friend who has been accused of a crime. Bernsen spoke to me last week about the film and about his own rediscovery of faith. Here are some excerpts from our conversation:
What faith expression did you grow up with?
We were Christian Scientists. That was my Sunday school and the church we went to. Christ has been there, as far back as I remember.
What led you to write the faith-based film Rust?
The journey to God is constant. I don’t know if we can ever get close enough. I haven’t always flexed that muscle.
After my father’s passing two and a half years ago, I was sitting with his bag of ashes and realized I didn’t understand where he might be. That led to bigger religious questions: Is there heaven, hell, God, evil? It opened me up to an incredible philosophical discussion. I feel that part of God’s journey for me is to bring back people who want to explore that.
Faith helps to make sense of the world and helps to understand pain and the agony of suffering.
Has making the film affected your own practice of faith?
It brought me back. I’m deeply interested and exploring, and it’s coming out in practice. I’ve been married for 22 years and have four children. The last couple of years, I’ve felt closer to my wife.
Is it difficult to be a person of faith in Hollywood?
I don’t know that it is. If you’re walking around talking about it all day, and constantly preaching, it might be. People don’t want to hear that, no matter what message you’re selling. They’re like “I don’t want soap, and I don’t want Christ. Don’t sell me anything.”
Yet, if you listen to great athletes, musicians or actors, so many of them give thanks to God first. They know that that piece of magic — the gift they’ve been given — is divine.
Do you think there’s an audience for faith-based films?
I think there is. There’s also an audience just outside the circle. The movie The Blind Side indicated to me that there are people out there.
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There is most decidedly an audience for faith-based films, if they are good. Mel Gibson’s “Passion of Christ”, for example, has brought me closer to Jesus Christ than any priest or book could have done. As a Christian with a strong leaning to the Roman Catholic faith, I even purchased a video on Christ’s life some years ago, produced by the Mormon church. The video is pure Christianity with no Mormon overtones whatsoever. It has become a tradition in our house and family that at Christmas, that video starts off our Christmas evening. I am now very intrigued by this film “Rust” - I hope I can find it. Pax Christi. Richard
Richard,
Keep searching and studying the Catholic faith. I am a lifelong Catholic and wouldn’t have it any other way. Investigate church history, study the Church Fathers of the first 5-6 centuries after Christ, they all taught Catholicism. The fullness of the truth of Christianity exists in the Catholic church. Other non-Catholic Christian churches are not “wrong” per se. Think of it this way, there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. The Catholic church has and uses all 26 letters while other Christian denominations or traditions are using 22-23-24 letters. Pax Vobis and Pax Christi.
PS Richard,
Be careful with the Mormon church. They are not actually Christian because they do not believe Jesus was God Incarnate. Maybe you know that already but just making the point.
Whoever is not against us is for us.
I just watched the film Rust and was touched….it is a good family film and I personally wish there where more like it. Most television today sends such a wrong message to not only our children but makes even adults less sensitive to the morality as Christians we should live by. Thank you Corbin for a truly wonderful movie.
What a beautiful film - I loved the authentic Canadian craggy faces - a heartfelt story of the anguish of a faith struggle in a sadly fallen world. Travis - as a Christ figure was a little like Chief in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - an innocent crazy guy who spoke the truth and was willing to die for others. You gotta see it!
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